


Cost Per Impression

by FireHeartAW



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boys In Love, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Co-workers to lovers, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, POV Kageyama Tobio, Slight Abandonment Issues, Snowed In, Teasing, Workplace AU, Workplace Relationship, Workplace Sex, kiyoyachi if you squint really hard, really really light angst, teeny tiny specks of some canonverse, tsukkiyama if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:08:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireHeartAW/pseuds/FireHeartAW
Summary: Kageyama takes a deep breath, looking over to Hinata as he sits down. “What do you want for Christmas, Hinata?” He’ll play this game despite the nerves fluttering within his chest.“I want you,” Hinata turns his head, gazing with desire in his golden brown eyes. “To finish your work so we can get out of here.”Kageyama exhales, completely unaware that he was holding his breath, unaware that his eyes had landed on Hinata’s lips until he’s brought back to reality.“Oi ‘Yama, eyes up here silly,” he laughs, the sound almost feral, gaze holding strong.“Shut up, Hinata, get your damn ads done. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll know what I want for Christmas.”
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 83





	Cost Per Impression

**Monday, December 21, 2020**

Soft grey light coaxes its way into Kageyama’s room, steady circular shadows falling across his bedroom floor. The smells and sounds of morning greet him as he stretches within the welcoming folds of his sheets. He’s never been one to need an alarm, always pretty confident that the aroma of coffee and general pressure of being a millennial with high expectations will wake him up. With a grumbling yawn, Kageyama rolls out of the comfort of his bed and pads his way over to his tiny apartment kitchen, still tired eyes blurring his vision as he turns on the morning news, anxious to hear of any traffic or potential storms. 

“Good Monday Morning Tokyo, welcome to NHK World - Japan on this snowy December 21st morning! We’ve got snow in the forecast for the whole holiday week!” 

_ Ahh that’s right – not only is Christmas this week, but tomorrow’s my birthday.  _ Kageyama sighs, bringing the lukewarm coffee up to his lips.  _ Not that anyone really cares _ , he thinks walking back to his room to get ready for the day. 

Snow continues to gently fall outside while he prepares for work, a steady and frigid reminder at this time of year that he’ll probably be alone again. Kageyama exits his apartment, crisp air bringing a sting to his cheeks while he walks to the subway. Several emails from work light up his phone – “OOO for the Holiday!” and “Merry Christmas from the Team.” So far none from any of his clients asking for last minute marketing campaigns; he knows agency work well enough though that he can’t get too comfortable. 

Kageyama steps off of the subway platform and heads towards his workplace. Distracted by his inbox, he mindlessly lets his feet take him on the familiar path he knows all too well from two years of being a part of Raven Wing Marketing. Being an Account Executive for RWM is easy for Kageyama; he’s never had a problem managing his tough client’s finances or campaigns with expert attention to detail.  _ Although it’d be nice to get a vacation once in a while,  _ he grumbles internally, chin tilted up towards the grey expanse above him – almost like he’s back in the comfort of his sheets. Instead he’s greeted by a chill racing through his body as he brings his indigo eyes back into focus on the towering glass structure that’s now in front of him. Well, his office building and something else.

“Gooooood morning, Kageyama!!” bright orange hair greets him, a stark contrast against the snowy landscape. 

“Hi...can we please go inside? You’re blocking the door,” he threatens with a bite in his tone. 

“You moron, I was waiting for you – I saw you walking over here all deep in thought.” A warm laugh escapes his shorter co-worker. “Careful though, you might hurt yourself thinking too hard.” 

“Shut up, Hinata. Let’s go, it's cold as hell out here,” Kageyama groans. 

Hinata holds the door open for him as they walk inside the warm lobby. He can see Hinata’s shoulders moving – almost as if they’re glitching, like he’s holding something back. 

“What is it that you want to say?..” Kageyama is unfortunately used to Hinata’s body language after being co-workers and sharing the same space as him for the last few months. 

Lacking his usual buoyantly loud tone, Hinata whispers, “...you do know hell isn’t cold right?” 

Now laughter is echoing in the tiny elevator they’re sharing. Kageyama just glares at him, sighs heavily and puts his airpods in – ready to drown out any more of Hinata’s dumbass statements. He thinks he notices a brief flash of disappointment in his coworker’s brown eyes, but the elevator reaches their floor and Hinata is the first one to bustle out of their shared space. 

Kageyama ambles over to his work space, not quite ready for a day filled with client calls and presentations. His desk greets him with its neat and tidy surface, a complete contradiction to Hinata’s, who sits right behind him. It’s reminiscent of their differing work styles; Kageyama is more buttoned up in his approach – looking at every angle and possible outcome before proceeding with the client. 

Kageyama glances at Hinata’s desk and it’s like a summer storm has made its way through the office. Post-it notes strewn about, notebooks with scribbles all over the pages, leftover wrappers from various vending machine snacks. None of it seems to bother Hinata though, almost like his clutter is indicative of his magnetic personality, drawing things and people into him. There’s no way Kageyama would ever admit that being around him has a certain warmth though. He's content with staying in his own world – even if it’s lacking the color Hinata’s personality shares with those in his circle.

If there was any indication that the morning was going to be slow based on Kageyama’s lack of client emails earlier, it seems like now the agency world is finally waking up for the day with how his email continues to ping. The same goes for Hinata, who is getting phone calls left and right; most seem to be from clients, but he also catches some bits of personal calls as well. 

“Yes, Natsu, I should be home by Christmas Eve! I’ll have to bring my work laptop with me just in case, but let mom know I’ll definitely be coming,” he laughs, and there’s that warmth that radiates off of him so effortlessly. 

“Yes, of course I got you a present, silly! I gotta go, I’ll text you later.” Hinata sets his phone back down on his desk and resumes typing away, a somewhat heavy sigh escaping him. 

“Oi Kageyama, you have a sister, right?”

“Yea...why are you asking?”  _ Shit he forgot that he was ‘not listening’ and had his headphones on.  _ Now the mop of orange is facing him, his grey button down slightly askew from how he’s sitting cross-legged in his chair. Kageyama reflexively removes an airpod, ready for the impending onslaught of endless words he knows Hinata is about to throw at him. 

“Well you see…” he scratches the back of his head apprehensively, “I haven’t actually bought any Christmas gifts yet and I just know Natsu will kill me if I don’t bring her something and I can’t for the life of me figure out what to get her. Do you have any ideas?” He fires out the whole sentence at a pace so fast Kageyama barely has any time to catch up. 

“What makes you think I know what your sister could possibly want? I’m not doing any shopping this year anyway, so I can’t help you,” Kageyama snaps, with probably a bit too much venom. 

“What?! What do you mean Kageyama?! It’s Christmas!!” Hinata is practically on the edge of his seat now, confusion lacing his expression.

“I haven’t been home for Christmas in years.” It’s such a plain and simple statement that the flash of pain he sees on Hinata’s face shocks him a bit.  _ What’s so special about Christmas anyways? We work in marketing. It really just comes across as a reason for companies to make money off of their so-called “specials,” luring people in with fancy advertisements. I haven’t seen my sister in awhile anyways and there’s no reason for us to get together. _

“Kage-” Hinata starts, but Kageyama’s had enough of this conversation. He can hear the endless pings of emails from his laptop and he cuts Hinata off before he has a chance to pity him. 

“It’s fine. Let’s get back to work, I don’t have time for this.” 

Kageyama puts his airpod back in his ear – noise cancelling feature turned on. He’s not interested in discussing anything relating to their families or holidays, or really anything but work with Hinata. So he does what he knows best, throwing himself into his work and making his clients happy – it’s honestly the least he can do, so he better do it right.

*** 

By the time lunch rolls around his stomach is grumbling.The smell of pork buns coming from Hinata’s desk is irresistible to his senses, and lured by the aroma he turns in his chair to find that Hinata isn’t alone. 

“Oh hey Kageyama. Uhm, how are you today!?” Yachi asks. Ever since she joined the company, the tiny blonde has been one of Hinata’s  _ seemingly  _ closest work friends. Her anxious but bubbly personality works well with Hinata’s confident endearing one. 

Kageyama opens his mouth to speak but is cut off.

“Can you believe he doesn’t celebrate Christmas!?” Hinata practically wails, pointing in Kageyama’s direction. 

“Ugh, dumbass, I didn’t say I didn’t celebrate it. I just haven’t had a reason to and I’m usually busy with work anyways,” he grumbles with an eye roll.

Yachi starts to shuffle a bit and Kageyama can tell she’s nervous. He tries for a softer tone to help break the tension. “Don’t worry I’m honestly used to it.” 

Yachi smiles shyly and makes her exit with a swift but quiet goodbye, leaving Kageyama stuck with Hinata’s prying eyes and even more nosy personality.

_ There’s that sad look from Hinata again. I wish he would quit it.  _

“Oi, will you–”

“Here, have a pork bun. I ordered too many and I noticed you didn’t bring lunch,” Hinata offers hand outstretched with the bag of pork buns in the air between the two of them. 

Kageyama eyes him, unsure if this is just a ploy to open up conversation. But as soon as he grabs one, Hinata is turning in his chair back to his computer. No extra conversation needed, it seems. 

“Thanks…” Kageyama mumbles, returning to his own workspace. 

“No problem! Let me know if you want another one, my eyes are alway bigger than my stomach.” 

Kageyama hums in acknowledgement. Honestly, this is one of the nicer moments of the day so far. As he bites into the pork bun, he feels a bit of his icy exterior melting away, just a little. He could blame it on the cayenne pepper as he feels the spice hit the back of his throat, but he’s hesitant to admit that it’s the natural comfort that Hinata brings to any space he enters – any conversation he has. 

He pops the last bit of pork bun in his mouth and takes a look at his calendar to find an alarming new meeting invite for this afternoon, the subject line:  **URGENT** :  **New Client Onboarding + Project** . It fits right into his somewhat packed day so he hits accept, mouse hovering over the meeting tracking option to see who else is invited. 

**Attendees:**

Sawamura Daichi: Accepted

Sugawara Koushi: Accepted

Kageyama Tobio: Accepted

Hinata Shouyou: Accepted

_ A project with Hinata?! Are they insane, we just barely get along!?  _

Hinata steps out of their seating area in somewhat of a rush, spinning a highlighter in his tiny hands. Kageyama opens the attachment Sawamura-san included, eager to dive into an analysis of this potential new client. Before he even has a chance to skim over it, Hinata is pulling his chair right next to Kageyama’s, slamming his notebook and print outs onto his desk. 

“Figured we might as well go over it together, and yes I printed and stapled it the way you like,” Hinata informs, taking his seat inches away from Kageyama.  _ Honestly just how much does Hinata know about him?! _

“Uhm thanks,” Kageyama sighs.

They fall into an easy silence as they both skim over the details. Occasionally he sees Hinata scribble on a page, or highlight a certain passage – it’s kind of fascinating to see his approach to this. Then he realizes, with utmost clarity, Hinata’s eyes boring into him, that he’s been staring at Hinata working away, completely unfocused on the task at hand. 

“Kageyama, are you even paying attention?” 

“Sorry, yes...I, uhm, didn’t realize you could be this quiet,” he quips lightly. Hinata shoots him a glare for that one. 

“Well clearly I can. Anyways, do you even know anything about volleyball?” Hinata asks and Kageyama furrows his brow, unsure why this is coming up now of all times. Hinata taps his pen to Kageyama’s packet that’s still untouched and perfectly stapled. 

“The client is a volleyball company. They sell balls, knee pads, clothes and shoes. It looks like their previous agency wasn’t bringing in the numbers they wanted. Here look–” and suddenly Hinata is leaning in front of Kageyama, and the smell of cinnamon and clove wafting from Hinata’s body envelopes Kageyama like a warm blanket. 

“Look here on page 7,” he continues, pulling Kageyama from his current fixation of Hinata’s comforting aroma. “They weren’t getting any ROI, and their cost per impression was terrible! I’m sure we can fix it,” he states with full confidence. Kageyama is still hanging onto the ‘ _we’ _ part of this whole situation, shaking his head he comes back to their corporate reality,  _ and not so much on what Hinata smells like _ . 

“Okay well, first of all yes I know stuff about volleyball – I used to play in high school and college. Secondly, if it’s better numbers they want I can handle that.” 

“Kageyama it’s we... **we** are working on this  **together** ,” Hinata grumbles with extra emphasis. “Wait, what position did you play?”

“Setter.”

“Ah, that makes sense, with your super analytical/in control personality all the time,” Hinata chuckles to himself. 

Kageyama just rolls his eyes but questions, “Let me guess, you were a libero?”

Suddenly Hinata has him locked in place, staring him down with the intensity of a wildfire. 

“No, Kageyama, I was a middle blocker. Shocking, I know, since you just made an assumption about me based on my height. Anyways, review your packet, the meeting is soon and I’m sure we will both have a lot on our plate.” 

Kageyama is shocked; the usually warm and inviting environment Hinata emulates is now too much to handle. An uneasy sweat begins to develop at Kageyama’s temples.  _ Geeze, sometimes he’s just warm enough to be comforting to be around and sometimes he leaves you with a burn that lingers – he’s like the damn sun.  _ Kageyama returns to his work, pulling his focus back to the task at hand, but a lingering thought nags at him: just who is Hinata Shouyou?

***

Sawamura-san and Sugawara-san bring Hinata and Kageyama up to speed, which is unfortunately the speed of a rapidly moving trainwreck waiting to happen.

“I’m sorry, they want us to do  _ what _ ?!” Kageyama’s anger is evident, but he keeps it mostly at bay. 

“They dropped their previous agency on Friday, right before the launch of a new product set to be released on New Year’s day. Unfortunately for us, they want to scrap all materials previously produced and start over completely,” Sugawara-san says, a bit softer than Daichi’s immediate bombardment when they stepped into the conference room. 

“Okay...I mean, that’s fine. We can manage, Kageyama, right?” Hinata looks to him for reassurance. That earlier solar flare from his co-worker seems to have dissipated. 

Kageyama ignores him and looks to Sawamura-san. “When do they want V1 by?”

“Christmas Eve,” he states, so simply that it honestly seems like a joke.  _ I mean Hinata is actually laughing. _

“You guys are joking right?” Kageyama contests.  _ This has to be some sort of Christmas prank? _

Sugawara-san looks at them with a quiet type of confidence. “We put you on this project – yes both of you – because you’re the best we have. We’re trying to be optimistic in thinking that if we put the two of you together, you’ll produce something amazing.”

They brief them on some of the other details, but Kageyama’s brain is already locked onto the numbers. It’s been decided that he will focus on data and analytics, while Hinata focuses on creative and messaging. Together they need to have both trackable data as well as new creative for socials and other platforms in client hands by EOD on Christmas eve.

Surprisingly Hinata dives right into his work, leaving Kageyama to go over the client’s previous data models with no distractions. They both seem to get lost in their work – the pressure and trust their agency is putting on them weighing heavily on their shoulders. Before he knows it, Hinata is tapping him on the shoulder, indicating to him to take his headphones out. 

“It’s late and the lights are about to go off, we should go home...we can just continue tomorrow. Anyways, I reserved a conference room for us for the week so we can work together there. You know, in case we have questions for each other,” he says with a substantial sigh, clearly holding back a yawn. 

“It’s fine, I have a bit more I’d rather get done tonight.”

“Kageyama, I’m not going to let you overwork yourself. Let’s go.” It seems Hinata is going to win this argument; he’s standing there, arms crossed over his wrinkly shirt, clearly waiting for Kageyama to get up so they can walk out together. 

“Fine,” he agrees grudgingly. He could really use the rest, especially his eyes after looking at excel spreadsheets throughout the day.

The elevator ride back down to the lobby is quiet, definitely a contrast to Hinata’s giggling and teasing this morning. They step outside back into the frigid air, nighttime hugging the buildings with it’s normal quiet caress.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. Hope you get a good night's sleep.” And then Hinata is heading off in the opposite direction of Kageyama’s subway, a much less enthusiastic smile on his face as he waves his sleepy goodbye. 

By the time Kageyama steps back into the comfort of his apartment, he’s too tired to make, let alone eat any dinner. Instead he lingers in the shower, letting the warm spray work the bitter sting of the outside air off of his skin. Slipping into sweatpants and a comfortable shirt, he falls backwards onto his bed, wanting desperately to be surrounded by warmth. 

He can see the numbers from the data in his head – his mind is never one to really quiet down, even in the comfort of many blankets and pillows. But then his mind betrays him, and he lets a thought settle somewhere in his chest as his eyelids get heavy. What would it be like to have that inviting scent of cinnamon and clove in his apartment? And with that he finally drifts off to a dreamless sleep. 

**Tuesday, December 22, 2020**

Kageyama wakes up to incessant pings of messages on his phone. With blurry eyes he grabs it off of his bedside table. Most of the messages are from his parents and sister wishing him a happy birthday, a few celebratory notifications from his outdated Facebook thrown in too. He’s surprised to see Hinata has texted him though, (5) unread messages to be exact. He rubs his eyes, stars exploding behind his heavy eyelids as he tries to pull himself out of this slow-moving state. 

**6:45 am [Hinata]:** Hey I’m on my way to the office. Do you want a coffee?

**6:52 am [Hinata]:** alright I guess I’ll just get you black.

**7:21 am [Hinata]:** Kageyama...when are you coming in?

**7:45 am [Hinata]:** I’m gonna assume you slept through your alarms? (do you even set alarms?) but come on we have a ton to do!

**8:01 am [Hinata]:** whenever you decide to get your ass here I’ll be in the Miyagi conference room

Panic starts to flow through his veins.  _ Since when do I sleep past eight am!?  _ He takes a look at the time and finds it’s now 8:15 am, and practically crashes to his bedroom floor in his rush to get going. A quick splash of water on his face and quick finger comb of his hair and he thinks he doesn’t look too bad, or at least he hopes not.  _ When did I start caring? _

By the time he makes it to RWM, the somewhat empty office is buzzing. Clearly the grip of capitalism has made its way into this week as it always does. Stopping by his desk he grabs his notebook, the packet from yesterday, and his laptop. Looking over to Hinata’s, he sees it’s much less of a tornado today. Before Kageyama lets himself be presently surprised by the tidier desk, he realizes this can only mean the conference room has become the tornado’s new path of destruction. 

Opening the doors to the Miyagi conference room, he finds Hinata working away, left hand in his fiery hair, the other scribbling away in one of several strewn about notebooks as he holds his phone up to his ear with his left shoulder. Snowy morning light streams in from the floor to ceiling glass windows, casting Hinata in an aureate glow. His dark navy button down is a stark contrast to his bright hair, similar to the color of Kageyama’s eyes; it suits him well. Hinata’s bright carmel eyes reach Kageyama’s with a smile wrinkling their corners. He tilts his head towards the end of the conference room table where he’s already set Kageyama up. A new notebook, some pens, and his coffee sit waiting for him – set up nice and organized too. 

“Can you make sure to get those stock photos to me soon? I want to review them with the copy I’m working on,” Hinata says into the phone, then pauses for a brief moment before continuing. 

“Oh and Yachi, let me know how much I owe you and I’ll venmo you real quick,” he affirms as he scribbles what Kageyama assumes is the amount  _ for who knows what  _ in the top corner of his notebook. 

“Hey, sleepyhead!! You have a long night or something?” Hinata asks him with a little head tilt. No ill will laced into that question.

“I think I was just really tired from everything yesterday and the thought of what we’ve got ahead of us for the rest of this week.”

“No girlfriend or roommate to wake you up in the morning?” Now Hinata is leaning forward on the table, head resting on his crossed arms as he looks up to Kageyama curiously. 

“Uhm, no. I live alone and I don’t...hmm.. I – girls aren’t–” he tries, but Hinata cuts him off at that, clearly saving him from any further embarrassment since it was evident he was struggling. He swears he sees a bit of a mischievous eyebrow lift on that freckled face of his prying coworker. 

“You’re probably gonna have to warm up your coffee,” he nods towards the drink.

“Right, thanks for getting me one by the way,” Kageyama mumbles, rising from his chair to go to the break room microwave. Right as he’s about to leave the conference room Hinata calls out to him.

“Hey, Kageyama? Same on the uh ‘girls aren’t’. Well, sometimes, that is,” he motions with air quotes and then a warm laugh because Kageyama’s face must be shocked. Kageyama all but scurries out of the conference room a little short of breath –  _ what the hell was that….did he just tell me he was bi? DID I JUST TELL HIM I WAS GAY?! _

He brings his hands up to his face, putting pressure on his eyes as if he could take that whole moment back. Of all the people in the office to now know his preferences, Hinata is likely the last one he wants to know, especially with how close their shared workspace is. Unfortunately –  _ fortunately –  _ the moment is singed into his memory, Hinata’s bubbly laughter echoing between his ears. A light blush burns up his neck to his cheeks.  _ What the hell is happening to me? _

“Kageyama...are you okay?” He brings his hands off of his face to find a very concerned Yachi standing in front of him, anxiety lacing her smile.

“Oh god, yeah, sorry. I was just on my way to the break room. Thanks though,” he rushes, and he takes off down the hall, away from anyone that might see the current mental breakdown that’s showing itself so evidently on his pale skin.

“Okay. Happy birthday, by the way!!” she shouts after him, and it’s the first time he’s heard it aloud today. He wonders how she could possibly know, but it probably has something to do with Hinata. He seems to know everything about those close to him –  _ not that we’re close by any means,  _ but it’s nice to think about all the same. 

The first sip of warm coffee signals to his tired brain cells that it’s time to get to work. He returns to the conference room and finds Hinata up at the whiteboard. Sleeves rolled up and marker in hand, he sways his hips to the song he’s mumbling to himself – sketches of athletes, volleyballs, and gear take up residence on the previously clean board, with little bits of copy written amongst the chaos. Kageyama just watches from his seat; seeing Hinata in his element is actually kind of endearing. It’s the way he has to stand on his tiptoes to reach the upper corners of the whiteboard that makes him chuckle. That is until those confident eyes set their sights on him, silencing any indication that Kageyama was actually enjoying himself. 

“When you get a chance can you get me the numbers on the ads that brought in the highest consumer response?” The way he’s able to abruptly switch his focus is a bit unnerving to Kageyama, he’s like a summer rainstorm – quick and with bright flashes of lightning.

“Yeah give me a bit, I’ll put it right up,” Kageyama sighs and Hinata’s flashing one of his alarmingly bright smiles –  _ there’s the lightning _ .

“What?” Kageyama’s eyes narrow at his suddenly interested co-worker.

“Nothing, I just knew we’d be able to work well together,” he states, stalking closer to Kageyama.

Kageyama’s breath comes out a bit short. “Oh really? What made you so sure about that?”

He feels trapped, Hinata’s eyes lock onto him like a predator ready to pounce and now he’s caught in his fangs. Hands on either side of his chair, he leans in for the kill, eye level with his prey. Hinata’s face is inches away from his, close enough that Kageyama can see little flecks of gold in his eyes. 

“What...dumbass, what the hell are you even doing?!”

“See Kageyama, for all your quiet intensity, I can match it with aggressive courage.” And lucky for Kageyama and his wildly racing heart, Hinata breaks the stare and, without a misstep, returns to work mode.

“Okay, Numbers Man, show me what you got from their previous campaigns,” he implores, plopping himself down to spin in a chair next to Kageyama. Calming his heart down, he pulls up the previous data reports and watches as Hinata’s eyes skim over the work. 

“Damn, this doesn’t look nearly as good as the work you produce. I’m eager to see how happy the client will be once they get their grubby hands on your data models.”

Kageyama’s heart isn’t racing, but a small, silent smile emerges as he feels a warmth bloom throughout his chest.

“It’s ‘we’. The work  _ we _ produce,” he nods towards the whiteboard. “They’re going to be happy with the work we produce,” Kageyama confirms – to Hinata, but also to himself.

Kageyama is surprised at how easily they fall into a calm working environment with minimal jabs at each other’s character. Where they sometimes lack maturity, they have an excess of respect for one another’s work. 

Kageyama is deep in setting up predictive data models when he notices that Hinata is becoming a bit restless. Pacing around the room, he continues to fidget with his ID Badge, long drawn out sighs come from his usually talkative mouth. It’s been a few hours since he last added to the whiteboard, so it could be he just hit a wall in his creativity. Right as Kageyama’s about to ask him if he needs help with anything, a bright and cheery ringtone fills the silent room. 

“Yachi!! Hi...okay...okay great! I will be right there,” Hinata giggles and runs out of the room without notice and Kageyama finds himself alone again, staring a bit distractedly at the lackluster snow that’s drifting away outside. A shiver trickles down his spine, a sudden realization that maybe all these months that they’ve sat in the same space he had actually found comfort with Hinata’s presence, had begun to rely on the warmth his personality provided. He feels like a snowflake, unique and individualistic – but alone and looking for somewhere to land, somewhere to belong. 

Hinata all but bursts back into the conference room, winter coat wrapped tightly around him, new snowflakes on his shoulders. Balloons trail behind him, his cheeks tinged red from the storm’s frigid bite. Kageyama can already feel the embarrassment seeping through his veins and then Hinata shouts.

“HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY KAGEYAMA!!!!” He throws his hands in the air, balloons tapping the ceiling, bag of who-knows-what swinging around. 

“Oh my god dumbass, shut up!!! I don’t need the whole office knowing!!” 

Hinata throws his head back, loud feral laughter erupting from him and Kageyama can’t help but notice how it brightens his mood. 

“You want me to sing?”

“I would rather listen to nails on a chalkboard,” Kageyama appeals before he can go any further. “How’d you know it’s my birthday anyways?” 

Hinata sits, setting the mystery bag on the table and releasing the balloons so they’re now literally bouncing off the walls.

“Oh, when we got that email from HR at the beginning of the month with birthdays and anniversaries I saw your name and noted it in my calendar! We are co-workers you know – maybe even friends?” 

“Sure, friends...yeah.” Kageyama actually can’t remember the last time he had a genuine friend, but there’s no one who feels more authentic in his friendships than Hinata, so he trusts it as soon as it’s spoken.

“I know we can’t take too long of a break because of this shit show,” Hinata says, gesturing vaguely to their surroundings, “but I wanted to get you something for lunch!”

Hinata opens the bag and it’s like home has made its way into these four walls. The familiar smell of pork curry nestles it’s way into Kageyama’s senses. He searches Hinata’s eyes for any indication that he could possibly know this is his favorite food. 

“What...did I do something wrong? Sorry I know I can be a bit much.” Brown eyes flicker with concern, clearly nervous he may have gone too far.

“Hinata, how did you know?” A wave of emotion rises up in his chest, he can’t remember the last time someone put this much effort into his birthday – it had to have been years. Hinata just eyes his cobalt stare, unwavering in their curiosity.

“How did you know to get pork curry? That’s literally my favorite meal – ever.” 

“What are you, a bloodhound?! I haven’t even handed it to you yet!!! I don’t even know why I picked it, it just felt right.” How convenient that it just felt right.  _ What else just feels right lately? He’d like to say nothing, but that would be a lie.  _

Hinata slides the food across the table to him and they start to eat in a comfortable silence. Snow and wind pelt the window, a constant dissonance to the random outbursts of laughter from Hinata as he scrolls through his phone – looking at  _ what _ , Kageyama has no idea. Before he can trap an errant thought safely in his mind, his mouth is already moving. 

“So do you have a girlfriend?” 

Hinata chokes on his food, gasping for air at his chest with an awe-struck smile on his face.

“Wow, I never thought I’d hear you bring up this topic,” Hinata counters.

“Forget it–” Kageyama starts to bite out, but Hinata has a hand up to stop him. 

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to answer you, dumbass. No, I do not have a girlfriend, and before you ask, no, I also do not have a boyfriend.”

_ So he is bi. Interesting. _

Feeling a bit more confident and comfortable, Kageyama continues. “Have you ever dated anyone from the office?”

“No.”

“Not even Yachi?!” 

“Whoa, Kageyama, no! She’s been in love with Kiyoko from HR ever since she started – don’t tell her I told you that or make any indication that you know,” Hinata glares. 

Zipping his lips, Kageyama presses forward, feeling confident that he can make Hinata as uncomfortable as he had made him this morning. He leans forward on one elbow, tilts his chin down and looks up to Hinata through his dark bangs and quietly asks, “ _would_ you ever date anyone from the office?” 

In hindsight, he should’ve known this was going to backfire. Hinata is laying his head on the conference table at an angle that makes it perfect to look up into Kageyama’s eyes. He does so unwaveringly as he whispers, “yes.”

“Hmm, good to know.” 

“You gonna run some kind of predictive model on me or something, Bakageyama?”

“For that, I just might.” And the moment ends as quickly as it began, but they both have sly smiles on the corners of their mouths. 

They finish eating in silence, but there’s a weight to it that hadn’t been present before. He’s learned more about Hinata in the past two days than the several months they’ve sat near each other. It’s the unfamiliar feeling that lands in his chest, begging the question –  _ don’t you want to learn even more? _

“We should probably get back to work. Only 2.5 days left now,” Hinata sighs leaning back in his chair, head thrown back like the weight of the world is pushing him down. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks again for the birthday stuff. You really didn’t have to.”

“Please say the first part of that again,” Hinata quips, fluttering his lashes playfully.

“Oh, fuck off, Hinata,” Kageyama smirks, and they both laugh as they return to their work. 

Hours pass in their tranquil focus, the motivation of making their bosses happy pushing them further into their craft. Kageyama stands up first this evening, tapping Hinata on the shoulder to break him out of his work trance. 

“My turn to tap us out. It’s already pitch black outside, let's head home. We can pick right back up tomorrow.”

Hinata looks up at Kageyama, eyes bloodshot and shirt wrinkled. 

“Alright, I should go Christmas shopping to get my sister a gift anyways. Any other ideas on what I can get her?”

They ride the elevator down to the cold lobby, the frigid air finding solace in this space every time the doors to the office are opened.

As they step outside, Hinata’s expectant eyes lock with Kageyama’s. Snow is falling into his hair like the frost at the tip of a fox’s tail. 

“Just go spend time with her. You’re not so bad to be around,” Kageyama answers, rolling his eyes in a comforting agitation. 

“Oh my god, you’re enjoying hanging out with me, aren’t you?” Hinata practically squawks.

“Shut up dumbass, we aren’t even hanging out. We’re working together.”

“We could always change that, you know.” 

Kageyama lightly punches Hinata’s arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

As he’s walking away, he hears a carefree voice call out to him, “Don’t sleep in tomorrow, Bakageyama!”

It’s been a long time since he’s been this content, and he’s not sure when he gets home and finds a cozy corner on his couch if his face hurts from the cold or from how much he’s been smiling. He shoots off one last text before falling asleep for the night.

**10:52 pm [Kageyama]** : I’ll pick up the coffee in the am. What do you want?

Before he has a chance to see Hinata’s response, his comforter claims him. Sleep captures his thoughts, but there is a message waiting on his phone for him in the morning. 

**11:13 pm [Hinata]:** Vanilla latte pls. Thanks ‘Yama :)

**Wednesday, December 23, 2020**

As promised, Kageyama shows up to the office with two coffees in hand – lucky for him, they’re nice as hand warmers too. By the time he makes it to the conference room, Hinata is once again here before him, already talking with Yamaguchi from the creative department about his notes on the whiteboard. Kageyama doesn’t go unnoticed by Hinata though, a classic grin spreading on his face and a mouthed ‘thank you’ as he takes his coffee from Kageyama’s hand. The brief brushing of their fingers warms Kageyama up more than his coffee. 

“See, I think this would look best if we had an athlete jumping up to the net. Have you ever watched volleyball, Yamaguchi?” 

“I used to play back in high school, I totally know what you mean. It’d be nice to have a setter and spiker in the same shot,” Yamaguchi confirms. 

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. When I spiked I always felt like I was flying, so I thought we could go with something like ‘Fly into the New Year’ with the new gear etc. You know what I’m saying.”

“Yeah agreed, I think that’ll be really good and easy to get pieces for multiple platforms considering blockers and setters have to jump or ‘fly’ as well.”

“Thanks Yamaguchi, I’ll get to work on sending more copy over to your team shortly to put over the stock photos Yachi got for me. By the way, thanks for assigning her to this project. She’s always great to work with and has helped me in more ways than one this week,” Hinata says, smiling mischievously back at Kageyama and something clicks.  _ Ahh, the birthday stuff yesterday, that’s definitely how she knew. Hinata had roped her into his plans. _

“No problem at all, we will keep an eye out for your emails,” Yamaguchi states, exiting the conference room. 

“You’re busy already this morning!” Kageyama is genuinely concerned about how much Hinata has already done today.  _ Did the man even sleep? _

“Ah yeah, trust me, you have no idea how much I needed this cup of coffee. Thank you, by the way,” he says bringing the coffee up to his lips, and a happy hum escapes him. 

“No problem. What’s the big deal though – why are you here so early?”

“Well I wanted to get these ads created so I could show them to you. That way if it helps you develop your data models at least you have a reference for what you’ll be pulling data against,” Hinata explains falling into his chair. 

“Ah well thanks, that’ll be really helpful,” Kageyama mumbles quietly. Hinata eyes him with suspicion. “No really, it’s nice having a partner that thinks about my work too since it does really all work together.” 

“Good, you’re getting better at accepting this whole together thing, huh?” 

“Not like I had any choice,” he says seriously before releasing a little smile. 

“Oh wow, what a shame it must be to be stuck with the person who is clearly your favorite co-worker,” Hinata chuckles, hands up in the air, index fingers pointing towards himself when Kageyama looks over. 

“Yeah yeah, if you haven’t noticed I really don’t talk to anyone else.”

“Why is that Ka–” Hinata starts to ask before being interrupted by the conference door swinging open. 

Sawamura-san stands in the doorway, an air of leadership seeming to blow into the room with his entrance. Any visit from the President of the company is nerve wracking – especially when it’s the boss without his VP Sugawara-san.

“Good morning, Kageyama-san, Hinata-san. How are things going?” 

Hinata nods at Kageyama to speak first, which unbeknownst to Hinata is probably a good decision. Closing out with Hinata’s enthusiasm will make Sawamura-san really happy, he’s heard the joy it creates on Hinata’s client calls – so he knows from experience.

“Good morning sir. I’ve taken a look at the previous agency’s data models and, well, if I’m being honest, a basic Instagram business account has better tracking than they did. I’m working on setting up specific models that will pinpoint the performance of Hinata's ads,” he summarizes with a substantial sigh, eyes sliding to Hinata who’s already looking at him with quiet trust. 

Hinata’s optimistic voice starts to fill the room, his eyes now focused fully on their stoic boss. His small hands explain more than his voice as he watches him move towards the whiteboard, pointing to specific drawings and words that he plans to utilize in their campaign. Kageyama could watch Hinata present to a brick wall and find it mesmerizing. His usual energetic features are somewhat softened at the edges, dark green shirt creating an auratic glow with his luminous personality. 

Maybe it’s the days of non-stop work smoothing the fringes of Hinata’s presence, or maybe it’s the lens through which Kageyama is finally seeing him. He may be loud and endless with energy, but even the strongest blazes start with a single spark.  _ This is nothing like the movies _ , Kageyama chuckles to himself quietly. So it’s here within these four walls, next to these towering glass windows, in the same room as the President of RWM responsible for getting them to work together that he realizes it. He’s caught in Hinata’s firestorm, and neither the blizzard outside nor his walls holding his heart can withstand it’s heat. 

As if he can hear the thundering in his chest, the truth he just came to believe in, Hinata looks over to him curiously.

“Right, Kageyama?”  _ Shit what were they talking about?  _ Hinata makes the slightest movement with his chin,  _ a nod. _

“Yeah, yup, mhmm,” he concedes and he can see Hinata holding his breath, caging in the laughter that’s trying to burst from his chest.  _ If he only knew what I was thinking about, would he want to laugh that off too? Dismiss me like the rest? _

“Well that’s good to hear. I expect the client will be very pleased with you both. Don’t overwork yourselves alright? Sugawara-san will be upset with me if I don't tell you that,” Sawamura-san laughs, “I’ll see you guys around,” he motions with a quick wave before leaving the conference room. 

Roaring laughter fills the room, and Kageyama just rolls his eyes. 

“‘Yama, were you even paying attention?!” Hinata questions, now taking a seat directly across from Kageyama. 

_ There's that ‘Yama again. Hearing it out loud instead of seeing it over text is like a siren call to Kageyama’s ears. It’s the way Hinata says it like a prayer, hanging onto the final vowel as if it will pull the answer to any question he could possibly ask Kageyama. _

“No, and where’d the nickname come from all of a sudden?” 

Concern flashes in Hinata’s features as if he’s afraid he’s crossed some boundary. “Ahh sorry, it just sounded better than ‘Kags’, or would you rather I call you that?”

“If you call me Kags it makes me sound like I’m a baby, ‘Yama is fine I guess,” he discloses quietly - almost a mumble. 

Hinata leans forward in his chair, chest pushing up against the edge of the conference table like he’s eager to get within Kageyama’s orbit. 

“Well technically you are, as the youths call it, ‘baby’, since I am older than you,” Hinata claims. 

“I don’t believe that for a damn second. When’s your birthday?” Kageyama narrows his eyes. 

“June 21st! I’m a ‘summer baby.’ God, I watch too much TikTok, please Kageyama, save me from the youths. I have no reason to know their lingo,” Hinata says putting his head in his hands. 

“Well, you saying ‘lingo’ just made you sound like you’re eighty, so I think you’re good,” Kageyama leans on the table, elbow supporting his chin in his hand. “Summer fits you well,” he whispers to himself. 

“What was that last part there?” Hinata looks up in surprise, searching Kageyama’s eyes for any indication that what he may have heard was accurate.

Instantaneously the room is hotter, heavier with an immense amount of pressure. “I’ll get us lunch today.” he blurts. He has got to get out of this room, far away from those prying eyes. He begins to rise from his seat but a hand reaches out, a light pressure on top of his own hand easing him back down into his chair. 

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Hinata says looking at his watch, “Yachi should be here any second with some plates for us from their department Christmas party.” His fingers are still lightly grazing the top of Kageyama’s hand, leaving little trickles of electricity where they meet his skin. 

Kageyama looks down at their hands, the connection like a sliced power line – reckless, wildly dangerous,  _ invigorating.  _ He feels Hinata’s gaze drag from his face to their hands, and watches as Hinata slowly starts to curl his fingers more into Kageyama’s skin. Heartbeat loud in his ears, he leans more into the touch, suddenly eager to be in his electric current. A knock at the door startles them, the moment severed as they all but jump back into their work, both scrambling for purchase on something,  _ anything but each other.  _

“Hi guys...uhm are you ready for lunch? I can come back later if you’d like?” The tension in the air must be palpable for Yachi too; she looks wildly uncomfortable but Hinata scrambles over to her, almost tripping over his own shoes as he pushes her out of the room without a word to Kageyama.  _ What the hell is wrong with him?! _

Several minutes pass and Kageyama is left alone with his erratic thoughts.  _ What the hell is wrong with _**_me_** _? What am I doing? Am I ready to let another person in? Am I ready to let _ **_him_ ** _ in?  _

The door to the Miyagi conference room creaks opens slowly, Hinata inching in through the gap with two bowls of steaming ramen in his hands. Kageyama races over to help, and suddenly, standing mere inches from Hinata, he realizes just how much he towers over him. Those golden brown eyes look up, seeking refuge in the oceans of Kageyama’s eyes. Kageyama grabs a bowl from Hinata, hands critically close to touching again. Hinata breaks the glance first, returning to his spot in silence, but Kageyama swears he saw pink forming within the constellations of Hinata’s freckles, forming galaxies he’d like to get lost in. 

Kageyama returns to his seat fully aware of this stifling silence between them, “Hinata I–,” he starts, but Hinata’s soft voice cuts him off. 

“Kageyama, I’m sorry…you were just about to tell me why you’re not typically open with people before Sawamura-san interrupted us and well, I’m worried I’ve made you uncomfortable. I tend to be more prone to physically touching my friends once I feel close with them,” Hinata eyes him warily, visibly tensing up as soon as Kageyama takes a deep breath.

“We don’t have to talk about that now, but just know you didn’t make me uncomfortable. I don’t mind you touching me.” Hopefully his silent plea is evident in what he’s just said –  _ please touch me more. _

Hinata’s shoulders fall, the tension within his body releasing with an exhale. “Oh okay, good,” he murmurs, a smile forming slowly on his lips. “Ah damn,” he sighs, “I forgot to get us drinks, what do you want?”

Kageyama responds gently. “I got it, you’ve done more than enough for us this week. I need to grab something from my desk anyways.”  _ That’s a lie, sorry Hinata.  _ “What do you want?” Kageyama asks, half of his body already on it’s way out of the conference room.  _ There she is,  _ he thinks, noticing blonde hair disappearing behind a corner down the hall. 

“Barley tea please,” Hinata requests and Kageyama gives him a small nod as he exits the conference room. 

Rounding the corner of the hallway he finds Yachi talking to Yamaguchi, Yachi leaning over Yamaguchi’s shoulder to get a better look at whatever’s on his screen. 

“Hey Yachi.” Her light brown eyes land on Kageyama’s in surprise. “Uhm, can I borrow you for a second?” 

“Yeah, of course,” she replies, signaling for them to walk towards the empty hallway.

“Was there something wrong with the ramen?”

“Oh no...I actually came out here to get drinks but I–,” he pauses hesitating, “I wanted to ask you about Hinata.”

She smiles and a light blush tinges her cheeks. “Sure, what would you like to know? I’ll try to answer as best I can!” 

Kageyama shuffles his feet, digging the tip of his dress shoes into the carpet. “Is this how he’s always been? I was always under the impression that he would be annoying as hell.” 

Her face lights up with a broader smile. “Ahh so you’ve warmed up to him huh?”

Kageyama smiles to himself, looking back into Yachi’s kind eyes. “Yeah, you could definitely say that.” 

Suddenly a very familiar voice calls out to him from down the hall. “Hey moron, where the hell are the drinks!!” 

“Oi dumbass, shut up, I’ll be right there!!”

Yachi shakes her head with laughter. “You guys are good together.”

“Oh, uh, yea thanks. He’s a really good coworker,” Kageyama answers looking down towards the door where Hinata was just standing.

“Mhmm, coworker,” she nods slowly. “You better go get him his drink. That's another thing about Hinata – he always gets what he wants.”

She briefly taps his arm, and it’s like a nudge of luck for his current situation.  _ Always gets what he wants, huh? _

Kageyama returns to the conference room, sliding Hinata’s drink to his expectant hand across the table.

He can feel Hinata’s narrowing eyes on him as he sits back down to his lunch. “Yes, Hinata?”

“What were you talking to Yachi about, hmm?” The sentence comes out sing-songy, like they’re suddenly back in high school talking about crushes.

“Oh, I saw her working with Yamaguchi, so I checked on the ads that you sent over.”  _ Good answer.  _

“Oh okay, you know you could have asked me to see what I have so far.” Hinata looks down, his words short and quiet as he fidgets with his papers.  _ Alright well that backfired.  _ “Is that all you talked to her about though, Kageyama?” Hinata pushes, intent on pulling the truth from Kageyama.  _ Shit, maybe he does get whatever he wants _ .

Before Kageyama has a chance to refute, Hinata cuts in with a beaming smile, _“_ I’m messing with you Kageyama.”

“I’ll have my ads ready in the next couple hours though, that way you can get your models ready for client delivery tomorrow,” he ensures, pulling his notes closer to him as he finishes his lunch.

“Awesome. Thanks, Hinata,” Kageyama exhales faintly with a gentle smile.

Hinata’s eyes light up a bit. “Yeah, no problem, you can count on me.” 

Eventually they slip back into their work, empty ramen bowls set to the side. Both of them have their headphones on now – shut off from the world and each other for several hours. Eyes lost in the data, he doesn’t notice Hinata calling out to him until a pen comes into view tapping his notes.

“You can come take a look now if you want,” Hinata offers, tilting his head towards his side of the table in invitation.

Kageyama makes his way over and stands behind Hinata, comfortably looking over his shoulder. Stock images of volleyball players setting and spiking start to flit by. Occasionally Hinata stops at a couple to let him see the copy, but he’s got a general idea of the market he needs to be targeting. Hinata swipes down to a separate folder that contains hundreds of stock photos of ‘volleyball players’. 

“I thought maybe we could pick a few of these together for some of the ads!” Kageyama can hear the excitement in Hinata’s voice; it wraps around him like a blanket. 

Kageyama towers over Hinata but he leans in closer for a better look, faces inches from each other as Hinata swipes through. The more Hinata skips through the photos he notices there's a falsity to them. These players dont look like they belong together – honestly to his marketing eye, it’s clear that they’re really just models that were dressed in volleyball clothing and asked to jump.

“I know, it could be better,” Hinata sighs, “but on such short notice these are the best photos we could find.”

“No no, they’re fine. There’s just something lacking you know? More so than just the fact that these people clearly aren’t volleyball players,” Kageyama counters.

“It’s trust, Kageyama. The setter’s there with the ball but look at the model for the spiker. Their face clearly shows they don’t believe in the setter at all.” And Kageyama feels his chest tighten up, oxygen coming to his lungs in small bursts. He lets his head fall onto Hinata's shoulder, hands gripping the armrests of Hinata’s chair. 

Hinata stiffens below him. “Whoa whoa whoa...what’s going on? I didn’t know you were that passionate about volleyball,” Hinata laughs nervously trying to lighten the mood. “Why don’t you tell me about your time playing? You said you were a setter right?” He’s clearly trying to diffuse the tension, anxiety clear in his softer tone.

Kageyama takes a deep breath. “Can you just give me a second and I’ll explain.” Hinata just nods briefly, orange hair tickling the side of Kageyama’s face as that now familiar smell of cinnamon and clove seeps into his bloodstream.

Hinata reaches out with his arm to turn the chair next to him, allowing Kageyama to sit, careful in his movements so that the head heavy on his shoulder isn’t displaced. Eventually Kageyama removes himself from the support of Hinata’s warmth and takes the proffered seat. He faces Hinata, elbows resting on his legs and chin in his hands.

Kageyama is positive Hinata will actually listen and understand. Certain that if Hinata’s been able to find comfort with him in any way this week, that he’ll be receptive to what he’s about to confess. Hinata looks at him expectantly, nerves evident in the wrinkling of his forehead. 

“I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not like you. I’ve never really been an outgoing person, but there was a time when I was more open with people.” He can see the realization hit Hinata’s eyes that this is the conversation they almost had earlier, before they were interrupted.

“Anyways, this,” he gestures vaguely to himself, “really all started back in middle school, on a volleyball team of all things,” he laughs without humor but continues on, encouraged at seeing Hinata listening intently.

“When I was younger my grandpa actually got me into volleyball. We’d regularly spend weekends playing in the backyard, or watching V.League matches on TV. He’d always grumble that if I tried hard enough I could make something of myself, and of course being young that became a dream I latched onto,” he chuckles at the memory of it, that kind of youthful ambition is so easily gained as a child, and just as easily forgotten as an adult.

“So I dove head first into training with him, believing every minute that I could be one of those players we watched on TV one day. But eventually as he got older he couldn’t keep up with me anymore, and when the day came that he passed I coped with it in the best way I could think. I latched onto volleyball and used it as a crutch to remind myself that it was something we still shared – a passion he had introduced to me, so I continued by pushing myself harder than before.” Kageyama exhales, eyes closed as if the darkness will protect him. But it’s light fingers wrapping around his wrists – wordlessly asking to be in his hands – that bring him back to the conference room.

“‘Yama, you don’t have to–” Kageyama takes those fingers in his grip, relishing in the way they fit between his palms. 

“It’s okay, Hinata. If you’re going to be stuck working with me all the time you deserve to know why I can come off so cold,” he says, eyes locking onto Hinata’s. He squeezes his hands in understanding, an anchor holding Kageyama here in this office. 

“I ended up getting this cocky kind of joy from being the setter, and I was good. That feeling of being needed and wanted sent me deeper into the sport, deeper into believing I could be someone. And instead of being a good player that brought out greatness in my team, I started to act like I was the best player on my team, believed I could win on the court all by myself, pretty much demanding that my teammates should aspire to play like  _ me _ . We were mid-match one day and I sent the ball into the air expecting a spiker, and no one was there. I mean it, I was literally alone on the court – my teammates had actively chosen to step out of the lines mid-match, leaving me alone in the place I had found the most solace.” He takes a deep breath, shrinking in fear at what he’s about to say. Hinata must sense it, he wheels his chair closer to Kageyama’s so their knees touch, a gentle reminder of his presence.

Kageyama tries to take a deep inhale but it comes up short, words choking up in the back of his throat. “Ever since then, I’ve just closed myself off from people, scared that if I do open up I’ll end up alone...again. I don’t like to give people the power to hurt me, the power to leave me behind. I haven’t told anyone about this, Hinata, about this irrational fear that will sit festering with my insecurities for probably the rest of my life.” Hinata releases his hands and some of that fear creeps into his veins, ice cold panic sending a shiver down his spine. He scrunches his eyes closed wanting to dive deeper into that darkness, to disappear in this cold he’s come to know so well. 

“Kageyama,” Hinata begs and he’s standing right in front of him, soft eyes frantically roving over Kageyama’s pained face. “I’m here, I'm here and I’m not going anywhere.” 

_ Those are the words you’ve wanted to hear from someone your whole life. He’s right there, he listened, he understands. _ Kageyama’s head falls to his hands and his voice breaks, barely a mumble. “Thank you Hinata.” 

All at once Hinata’s strong hands are gripping his forearms, pulling him up out of his chair. He looks up into Kageyama’s eyes for a millisecond, a thousand questions swimming behind those eyes to the million answers in his heart –  _ yes.  _ And Hinata crashes into him, arms wrapping around his waist as he pulls Kageyama close, the top of his head fitting perfectly under his chin.  _ So this is what it feels like to hold the sun_, Kageyama thinks fleetingly, and suddenly a light shines in the deepest shadows of his soul. 

***

Several minutes pass before Hinata slides his hands out from Kageyama’s sides, stepping back to look into his eyes and smile softly. 

“To be fair, Kageyama, I think you’re the one that’s stuck with all this,” he does a sweeping motion over his own body and then points to his head, “and this!! Don’t forget you’re stuck listening to my amazing takes all day long.” 

Kageyama can’t help but laugh at how easily Hinata brings joy back to this room after such a heavy moment, but that’s one of the best things about him. His inherent ability to brighten any room right as he enters it, to shine on the individuals he comes into contact with. 

Hinata reaches across the conference table and pushes Kageyama’s laptop shut. “Hope you saved what you were working on!”

“Oh my god, Hinata!! I swear if I didn’t know that autosave was on, I just might have killed you right here on the spot,” Kageyama proclaims. “Why’d you even close it anyways?”

“I’m taking you home, that’s why. And no, not like that get your head out of the gutter, ‘Yama,” Hinata jests, grinning at him as he gathers their stuff. 

“Hinata, why!? We have so much left to do!” Kageyama criticizes, confused as to why Hinata continues to bustle about fixing up the room for tomorrow. 

“We have literally all day tomorrow, Kageyama, we’ll be fine. You need to rest alright? What you just – you may not realize it, but having a moment like that can be really debilitating? Can’t you feel that?” Hinata fires question after question at him. He’s fully aware he isn’t going to win this argument, so when Hinata tugs on his arm to pull them both towards the elevator he lets him, he doesn’t care who sees. 

It’s funny, watching Hinata lead him through the office down to the lobby, his small hand still pulling Kageyama’s arm even though it’s not necessary at all. Face set with fierce determination, he strides outside with confidence, angling his body in different directions to see which one Kageyama will presumably follow him to his own place. 

“Hey dumbass, you’re acting like a GPS system that’s glitching, please stop, it’s so embarrassing,” Kageyama tries to complain, but he is laughing harder than he has in months. The face Hinata makes when he turns around to receive that insult has him absolutely howling, so much so that his stomach hurts. 

“Excuse me? So damn rude, I am clearly trying my best, thank you very much. Now will you please shut up and walk us to your place? It's cold and I don’t plan to just stand here and watch you laugh at me for the rest of the evening!!” Hinata smacks his arm, smiling though at how much his struggling can cause Kageyama to double over like this. 

“Walk us to my place? What are you, a dog?!”

“Oh my god Kageyama, forget it, you can walk home by yourself,” Hinata whines, already starting to take steps in the direction of his place. 

“I’m kidding, you cretin, let's go,” Kageyama nods in his direction, smiles upon hearing the crunching of feet on snow coming to his side. 

Hinata nudges Kageyama’s shoulder with his own. “You really are a pain in the ass sometimes, you know?”

“I know, but you’re stuck with me so deal,” Kageyama claims looking down at Hinata, and Hinata agrees with a mumbled “mhm” as he buries his face deeper into his winter coat.  _ Cute. _

The rest of the trip to Kageyama’s apartment is silent, the exhaustion of the tough day finally hitting them both. After walking up several flights of stairs with the winter cold still gripping their muscles, they crash through Kageyama’s door frame eager for warmth.

“Wow, ‘Yama your place is so nice!” Hinata claims, sauntering around his apartment looking at the different pieces of art and the view from his living room. 

“You want a cup of tea before you head out?” Kageyama asks from the kitchen, already pulling out one mug for himself. 

“That'd be great! Here you can use my to-go cup for mine. I don’t want to keep you from resting,” Hinata declares pulling the cup from his bag as he walks into the kitchen.

As much as Kageyama wants him to stay, Hinata is right; the moments of the day are finally colliding and he’s exhausted. He’ll likely pass out as soon as he’s done with his tea.

“Alright, well you can come over some other time, alright? Just maybe not during the same week we have an insane project due,” Kageyama suggests while pouring Hinata’s tea, but it’s the way Hinata is beaming at him that is entirely too blinding for its own good. 

“Oh my gosh, we really are friends!? You want to hangout with me!!” Hinata basically shouts with excitement. It’s infectious. 

“Yeah yeah, I do. Now get going so I can sleep.”

Hinata pads towards his front door, eyes softening before he leaves, “Thanks, Sleepyama. You put a lot of trust in me today, I’ll show you it’s not misplaced.”

The sound of the door closing echoes in his apartment, leaving Kageyama back with his familiar shadows, alone. However, this time there’s a comfort within them that wasn’t there before. An understanding that he’s not truly alone anymore washes over him like the first rays of dawn breaking through a dark horizon. As he crawls into the comforting folds of his sheets, a new message pings on his phone.

**9:13 pm [Hinata]:** you’ll be happy to hear that this “glitching GPS” found its way home XD. I’ll get the coffee in the morn! Night ‘Yama. 

**9:16 pm [Kageyama]:** wow good for you. Thanks again Hinata for today. I’ll see you tomorrow gnight. 

**9:18 pm [Hinata]:** that’s what friends are for. See you bright and early!

_ Friends _ . He lets that settle somewhere deep within the caverns of his chest, warming him slowly until it’s a steady burn as he, like the snow, drifts into the darkness.

**Thursday, December 24, 2020**

The commute to work this morning is much lighter in foot traffic, but still just as hectic as a normal day for those that are continuing to appease capitalism. The charged energy in the air makes Kageyama uncomfortable; it’s the promise that in the next 24 hours purchased joy will either be accepted by its recipients or become disappointments that weigh heavily on his fellow commuters.  _ Ugh, this is why I don’t like Christmas.  _ He watches the advertisements flit by on the screen of the subway, some more threatening than others now that it’s the final countdown to the holiday. And despite knowing that it’s just a marketing scheme to get people to spend more money, the messaging hits him all the same. The copy suddenly starts to feel a little too personal, a touch too targeted.

“Last Chance to Get What You Want!”

“Don’t let the chance slip away! Just 24 hours remain!”

The messages follow him all the way to RWM, nipping at his heels with geotagged advertisements and well placed billboards. Kageyama groans as he enters the lobby, he doesn’t have the time to focus on why the messaging feels more targeted to him than ever before. 

“‘Yama! Hello? Will you get over here please, I’m not going to hold the elevator forever you know. It’s going to start doing that god-awful alarm,” Hinata shouts at him.

Just as he gets within five feet of the elevator, the door starts to close on its own. Alarm blaring through the lobby, Hinata looks at him with amiable disappointment, a smile blooming on his face as he shakes his head. Kageyama chuckles and aims for the stairs and halfway up his ascent he looks up to find Hinata pouting, coffees in hand, nose scrunched up in frustration. 

“Kageyama, you dolt, you did that on purpose.”

Kageyama closes the distance between them, grabbing his coffee from Hinata’s gloved hands. “I didn’t, but seeing you scowl so early in the morning is hysterical.”

Hinata’s eyebrows furrow. “Oh thank you ‘Yama. You know that’s what I’m here for, to be your comedic relief.”

Kageyama reaches out, hand landing in the orange strands below him. Ruffling his fingers a bit he laughs, “Come on, we have a lot to get done and I know you’re trying to get home to your family.” His fingers linger in his hair for a breath, hand brushing the side of Hinata’s face as he lets it fall. 

Brown eyes wide, Hinata looks up to him and then his eyes fall back down to Kageyama’s hand, the one that was just grazing his face. Kageyama hadn’t even realized what he had done; it just felt so natural. 

“How long are you morons planning on blocking the staircase for,” a grumbly voice interrupts. 

“Hey Tsukki,” Yamaguchi comes running over, “I brought you a muffin. Come on, leave these poor love birds alone.” He winks at Hinata pulling Tsukishima over to his desk. 

Kageyama is trying to catch up with everything that’s happened, but Hinata’s looking to him for – what?  _ Reassurance? Acknowledgement? An answer to why he let his hand rest on the side of his freckled face? _

Kageyama’s about to open his mouth to apologize, but Hinata cuts him off. “Lovebirds, huh? I always took you for more of a crow, all squawky and tall.” Kageyama watches as Hinata raises his hand, tips of his gloved fingers playing with the edge of Kageyama’s bangs. 

“Even your hair, so dark and so,” Hinata pauses, setting his sepia eyes on Kageyama’s and he smiles, “much like an oil slick.” Triumphant laughter bounces off the walls as Hinata walks towards their room.

“Oi, you little shit,” he calls out behind him trying to catch up, heart pounding in his chest. 

Kageyama makes his way over to the Miyagi conference room, looking down at his phone as emails pour into his inbox. Not paying attention to where he’s going, he crashes into Hinata who’s stopped in the doorframe. 

“Hinata, what–”

“Kageyama, look, Yachi must’ve hung these up this morning!” He peers around Hinata’s shoulder to see waterfall-like Christmas lights dangling from the ceiling. Kageyama watches as Hinata steps into the room, gently setting his bag on the table as he looks up in awe.

“Those will be really nice once it’s dark out, but hopefully we’re out of here by then,” Kageyama sighs, ready to succumb to another Christmas eve spent alone in his apartment. 

“Yeah, I saw an email this morning that if we want, we can leave at noon today. Obviously that doesn’t apply to us,” Hinata complains. “I guess we should’ve stayed later the past couple of nights.”

Just as they’re both about to dive into their work, an alarm sounds on their phones.

******WINTER STORM WARNING******

  * Heavy squalls will be moving into this area starting at 5 p.m.
  * Be prepared for power outages
  * Exercise caution outdoors



“Well, I guess we have an even tighter deadline now,” Hinata rants, tossing his phone on the table.

“Let’s hope we have limited distractions today,” Kageyama offers, but he can tell the deadline is stressing Hinata out. 

“Kageyama, it’s Christmas Eve. Today is going to have nothing but endless interruptions,” Hinata laughs, “but we can do this, right?” 

Kageyama looks up from his laptop and finds Hinata gazing at him for reassurance.  _ So much for no distractions. _

“Like you said at the beginning of the week, we can do this. Come on, let’s get you home to your family,” Kageyama smiles as he returns to his work.

“Speaking of distractions,” Hinata sighs softly, “you should smile more, but please, not when I’m trying to focus.”

Kageyama shakes his head in confusion. “Hinata, what do you–,” but then there’s a knock on the door, and Sugawara-san peeks his head in. 

“Hey you two, how have things been going this week?” Sugawara-san implores, pulling up a chair next to Kageyama. 

“Really well, sir. Barring all distractions, we should have everything to the client before end of day,” Kageyama responds confidently. 

Sugawara-san laughs, his silver hair reflecting the snowy light from outside. “You guys know we have the Christmas party this morning, right?”

Hinata has his head in his hands, and a little laugh escapes his body. “Well, Kageyama, I guess we'll just have to see how today goes, huh?”

“I’ll leave you guys to it, but make sure to come to the party. It’ll be good for you to take a break no matter how busy you are,” Sugawara-san emphasizes as he leaves the room. 

Kageyama looks to Hinata and finds that he’s already typing away, laser-focused on his tasks. 

“I sent you some of the ads,” Hinata says as he continues to work, “let me know if you have any questions about target markets for your data models.” 

Kageyama nods and puts his headphones on. Lofi music eases it’s way into his thoughts as he builds the models and gets them ready for testing.

A couple hours pass before Hinata is tapping him on the shoulder, indicating that it’s time to head over to the party. He wordlessly takes his headphones out and follows Hinata through the office. Kageyama watches in awe as Hinata is able to converse with anyone they pass, asking them their Christmas plans and how their families are doing. It’s something Kageyama is  _ almost  _ envious of, but being able to quietly witness the way Hinata cares about others is almost as inviting as being that type of person. 

Arriving at the break room, they find it’s practically filled with every RWM employee that hadn't taken the week off. 

“Hinata, Kageyama, over here!” Yachi waves at them from across the room. Kageyama notices that the table is almost full except for two seats right next to each other. Yamaguchi waves at them as they squeeze through the room on their way there, while Tsukishima just sits quietly next to Yamaguchi. But Kageyama notices that Tsukishima watches everything Yamaguchi does with a certain gentleness, one he knows very well.  _ Interesting – I’ll have to bring that up to Hinata later. _

“Hey guys, thanks for saving these seats for us,” Hinata says, plopping down in his seat. He pats the chair next to him, looking at Kageyama curiously.

“We didn’t.”

“Tsukki, be nice,” Yamaguchi quips at Tsukishima. “Come on, Kageyama, take a seat. They’re about to get started.”

Kageyama tries to think about anything other than how close he and Hinata are as he sits, but he comes up short. Their knees are practically touching, and the side of Hinata’s navy coat keeps grazing Kageyama’s thigh. Hinata doesn’t seem to be aware of this at all, engaging in conversation with the group. That is until Kageyama tenses up at the sudden grazing of fingers on his knee while Hinata adjusts his coat. Kageyama can feel Hinata’s eyes on him, the heat rising up from his chest into his cheeks has to be visible. 

“Kageyama, are you feeling okay?” Yamaguchi questions, concern etched into his freckled face. 

“Yeah I’m fine, it’s just hot in here,” Kageyama answers, swinging his coat off his shoulders.

“‘Yama, what’s going on wi–” Hinata starts, but their bosses enter the room clad in ugly Christmas sweaters and the room erupts into laughter. Kageyama sighs in relief; despite knowing that Hinata is still eyeing him warily, he’s for the most part distracted.

Kageyama listens as Sugawara-san starts the meeting, shifting focus to the title of the presentation at the front of the room instead, ‘RWM EOY Summary.’  _ Good, data and numbers, things I can definitely get lost in that are not Hinata. _

As the meeting chugs on, Kageyama can tell Hinata is getting restless, knee-bouncing in anticipation of being released back to their work. 

“Oi, Hinata,” Kageyama whispers, “calm down, you’re like the energizer bunny.”

“Kageyama, look at the time,” he bites back.

Kageyama pulls his phone from his pocket – 11:46 a.m. Half of the day is gone, and they’ve just started to scratch the surface of what needs to be delivered to the client. Understanding the urgency now, Kageyama sighs heavily. 

“See, this isn’t even a fun mee–”

“Thanks to Kageyama Tobio, we were able to utilize his data models across several campaigns,” Sawamura-san exclaims, “if it weren’t for his hard work, many of the new clients we acquired this year probably wouldn’t have chosen our agency. Let’s give him a hand.” 

Suddenly all eyes are on him, the room charged with applause as he tries to sink lower into his chair. Then he feels it – a hand, and one he’s come to know the size of pretty well. He looks down at his knee, and without giving any indication to the rest of the room, Hinata squeezes gently, rubbing his thumb in soft circles to remind him that he’s here. 

The room dies down and the focus shifts back to the presentation. Kageyama takes a deep breath, but hears the tiniest whisper coming from his left, a quiet “great job Kageyama,” and then the hand is gone from his knee. 

The rest of the meeting continues without much fanfare, the company has met and exceeded the goals for the year, lifting everyone's spirits as they filter out of the break room. 

Sawamura-san reminds everyone that if they’re done with their work for the day, they can leave and Hinata audibly groans. 

“‘Yama,” he calls behind him as he continues on through the office, “what do you want for Christmas?”

Kageyama stops in the middle of the hallway, and Hinata continues to head towards their room leaving him stupefied. He could think of practical things he needed like a new planner, or some blue light glasses for late nights working on data. But as he watches Hinata walk away from him and disappear into the room, he remembers those signs on his way in this morning.

“Don’t wait! Act Today!”

“Give them the Gift they really Want!”

A singular thought passes through his mind as he strides confidently into their room. 

_ I want you. _

He answers Hinata with an ultimatum. “If we finish our work by the end of the day, I’ll tell you what I want.” Hinata eyes him curiously, squinting as if he can read every thought Kageyama is having. 

Hinata stands, shifting his notes and laptop next to Kageyama’s. “Don’t you want to know what I want?” 

Kageyama takes a deep breath, looking over to Hinata as he sits down. “What do you want for Christmas, Hinata?” He’ll play this game despite the nerves fluttering within his chest. 

“I want you,” Hinata turns his head, gazing with desire in his golden brown eyes. “To finish your work so we can get out of here.” 

Kageyama exhales, completely unaware that he was holding his breath, unaware that his eyes had landed on Hinata’s lips until he’s brought back to reality. 

“Oi ‘Yama, eyes up here silly,” he laughs, the sound almost feral, gaze holding strong.

“Shut up, Hinata, get your damn ads done. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll know what I want for Christmas.”

Kageyama’s unsure if he should even be rushing Hinata; it’s hitting him that he’s basically promised Hinata that he’s going to confess.  _ Although Hinata doesn’t know that. _

*** 

They sit in silence as they plug away at their work, only taking breaks when they say bye and happy holidays to other employees as they leave the office. Occasionally Hinata will ask Kageyama his opinion on something, tugging on the sleeve of his sweater. Kageyama feels warm, surrounded by that comforting scent of holidays and home that Hinata just seems to emulate naturally. 

His data models are just about ready to test, when Hinata swears next to him. 

“Shit, Kageyama, it’s 4:52 p.m. That storm is supposed to be plowing through any minute now.” 

“Go Hinata, I’ll stay and work on the rest. Just bring your laptop to your family’s house and work on the ads there. I can send everything to the client by EOD,” Kageyama offers. 

Hinata smacks his arm. “You idiot, we’re doing this together and I wouldn’t leave you here alone anyways. Especially with what’s about to come,” Hinata stalks over to the glass windows, eyeing the storm as it charges towards the city. 

“Hinata, it’s Christmas...you love Christmas,” Kageyama lectures.

“Well I can love Christmas here too,” Hinata cracks back, his hands on his hips in defiance.

“At the office? You can love Christmas at our workplace?” Kageyama picks on him. He just wants Hinata to be happy. 

“Look, as long as I’m here with you, I’ll be fine, okay?” His eyes slide back over to Kageyama’s, searching for an answer.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to call my sister. I need to let her know that I won’t be coming by tonight,” Hinata comments as he leaves the room. 

_ As long as I’m here with you.  _

Kageyama barely has time to focus on that thought when Hinata comes barreling back into the room. 

“She didn’t answer, I’ll just have to send her a text. But anyways come here,” Hinata says, grabbing Kageyama’s hand and pulling him towards the door. 

“HEY EVERYONE, KAGEYAMA IS ACTUALLY A BIG SOFTIE!!” Hinata yells at the top of his lungs, the words echoing off the walls and back to Kageyama’s ears. 

Hinata takes another deep breath and Kageyama smacks his hand over Hinata’s mouth, pushing him up against the door. 

“Hinata, you have ten seconds to tell me what the fuck you’re doing,” Kageyama growls, inches away from his face. Hinata’s eyes wrinkle into a smile, the muscles of his mouth straining against Kageyama’s hand. But when no response comes from the empty cubicles, Kageyama realizes they’re alone. 

He releases his hand, and Hinata from the door. “First of all, you little shit, what the hell was that? I am not a big softie.”

Hinata pulls his phone from his pocket, pretending to work on a calculator. “Let me check my data. Hmm yea, that’s what I thought. All signs point to Kageyama is a softie.”

Kageyama rolls his eyes, a smile begging to be released from the corners of his mouth. He takes a deep breath, smirking at Hinata right before he screams.

“HINATA IS A PAIN IN THE ASS!!!” Feeling pretty proud of himself, he looks down to find Hinata pouting with his arms crossed. 

“‘Yama, it’s not fun unless you say something no one else knows.”

Kageyama thinks for a brief moment, smiling at how much this next thought will rile Hinata up. 

“HINATA IS INTO YACHI!!” 

Before he even has a chance to inhale, Hinata is whipping him around, hands on either side of his head as he uses his body to push Kageyama against the door.

He gets centimeters from Kageyama’s lips, looking up through dark eyelashes into Kageyama’s shocked expression. 

“Does this  _ feel _ like someone who’s into Yachi, Kageyama?” Hinata pierces with a lascivious gaze, his tone sounding like it’s dipped in honey. 

“No,” Kageyama replies meekly. 

“Good, glad you noticed. Now go finish your models, I’m going to get us drinks,” and as quickly as Hinata had him up against the door, he releases the pressure and lets him fall back to his own gravity. 

Kageyama returns to his seat, heartbeat thundering in his ears as snow pelts into the wall of windows. The staccato of the blizzard is much like his heart, out of control and fast. Hinata returns to the room and calmly sets Kageyama’s drink down next to him, no indication of that untamed energy returning. 

Kageyama dives back into building his data models, finding comfort in the fact that it’s something he has control over, something predictable. The steady rhythm of typing from both of their laptops as they work calms Kageyama. It works as a confirmation that they both want to be done with this project, and that Hinata isn’t focused on pushing him up against doors anytime soon. 

Suddenly, Hinata leans back in his chair, feet up on the table as he taps away at his phone. 

Looking up in annoyance Kageyama groans, “Hinata, why are you still here?” 

“I’m staying here until you’re done, we’ve been over this already. Plus, look outside. There is no way I’m going anywhere in that,” Hinata points out. 

“Well, are you done?” 

“Check your email, I sent the ads to you like an hour ago,” he replies with pride, tapping at his watch. 

“Hinata, it’s just a damn blizzard. It’s only 6 p.m., you can still make it!” Kageyama complains. 

“Do you want me to die?” Hinata asks, tone flat, annoyed. “Come here,” he demands, walking over to the windows waiting for Kageyama to join him. 

Kageyama pushes his chair back from the table. “No, you moron, I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy. Here. With you.” Hinata turns to him, no longer mesmerized by the storm outside. His eyes lock onto Kageyama, freezing him in place as if he’s out in the snow.

“Hinata...what are you saying?” Kageyama looks into those beautiful brown eyes, unsure if what he’s hearing could possibly be correct. 

“Do I really need to spell it out for you,” Hinata sighs, eyes softening. “Finish your work and then we’ll talk okay?”

Kageyama just nods, eyes focused back on the data, tapping away at his keyboard as fast as he can. And despite getting the work done faster than before, his thoughts remain erratic. _Please tell me you feel the same way._ _I don’t want you to refer to us as friends anymore._

“I’m going to give you some space so you can finish, okay? Do you want anything from the vending machine? It is dinner time…” Hinata asks, one foot already out of the conference room. 

“You don’t need to leave for me to be able to focus, Hinata,” Kageyama cautions.

“I’m not doing this for you, I just need some time to think, alright?” Hinata pushes back. “I’m going to get ramen from the vending machine, I’ll get you some too.” And he exits, leaving Kageyama alone with just the storm and his data to keep him company. 

About an hour and a half later Kageyama gets the last bit of his data done. He conducts a final review of their deliverables, finally sending them off to the client within the last acceptable minutes of what would be considered EOD. Sighing he looks at the time; 7:52 p.m.  _ Where the hell is Hinata? _

Right on cue Hinata returns to the conference room, two cups of ramen in his hands. 

“So I have some good news and bad news, which do you want first?” Hinata asks, a sly smile on his lips.

“Bad news please, just to get it over with,” Kageyama requests, bracing a bit in fear of what the answer may be. 

“Well we’re snowed in for the rest of the night,” Hinata says casually, brushing over that detail like it’s no big deal, “ but the good news is we’re done with the project! I saw the email come in,” Hinata indicates with a tilt of his phone as he sits down.

_ I’m sorry...did he just say snowed in for the  _**_night_ ****?** There’s no way Kageyama will survive a full night of not telling Hinata all of his feelings, but then he recalls that Hinata had asked him what he wants for Christmas, his promise that he’d tell him after they finished work lingering in his mind. 

“Snowed in?” Kageyama asks, just to make sure he heard correctly. 

“Yeah, snowed in. You’re officially stuck with me overnight, ‘Yama. Oh my god I just realized it’s like a sleepover,” Hinata practically squeals. “I saw some movies on Tsukishima’s desk, I’ll go grab them so we can use the projector in here.”

_ Stuck with Hinata. Alone in the building with the man I have feelings for – great. _

Hinata returns, throwing down their two choices on the table,  _ Interstellar  _ and  _ Jurassic Park _ sit in front of him. 

“These are two very different movies to have in the office. By the way did you notice today–” Kageyama starts. 

“I think Tsukishima had lent them to Yamaguchi, and he returned them today. Also yes, I did notice; those two better act on it soon. Tsukishima is really pining for him,” Hinata responds with a laugh, somehow able to understand where Kageyama was going with that sentence. 

_ I’m pining for you, dumbass, _ he thinks. “I wonder who will act on it first, him or me,” Kageyama mumbles quietly to himself, unaware that he’s speaking out loud. 

“What?” Hinata says just as quietly, inching closer to Kageyama. 

“What did you just say, Kageyama?” He presses, now within arms reach.

_ Shit.  _ “I said let's watch  _ Interstellar,” _ Kageyama declares, pushing the movie back into Hinata’s hands.

“Alright alright. I’ll get it going. Get as cozy as you possibly can, this movie’s a long one.” 

Everything’s going fine until Kageyama looks up and notices that the waterfall lights dangling above them are unlit. He wheels towards the plug, Hinata eyeing him warily. But then he hits the switch, and his world is forever changed. 

The dark room softens with a faint glow and Hinata gasps, looking up in awe. Kageyama has never seen him look more beautiful than he does right now; the way the light bounces off his hair makes it look like a living flame, and Kageyama’s desperate for his warmth. But then Hinata turns to look at him, and the softest, most affectionate smile blooms on his lightly freckled face. 

“‘Yama,” Hinata sighs, “I really need to tell you something.” Hinata stands. But Kageyama’s already halfway there. The towering glass windows reflect the Christmas lights like the stars in a cloudless night sky.

“ _Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space. Maybe we should trust that, even if we can't understand it_ _._ _”_

Hinata’s eyes widen at the line from the movie, turning his head he looks back at the screen. Kageyama can see his hands shaking, shorter breaths coming into his chest. Kageyama takes a shaky breath of his own, closing the distance between them.

“Hinata,” he breathes, reaching out with his fingers to gently hold Hinata’s face. Kageyama tilts his chin up, smoothing his fingers over Hinata’s cheek. Brushing his thumb across Hinata’s lips, he nearly melts as a quiet whine escapes soft, pink lips, the warm cheek leaning into his touch.

“Shouyou." Kageyama breaks watching Hinata’s eyebrows furrow in desire; suddenly the distance between them is too much, too suffocating. Kageyama leans in, a centimeter from Hinata’s lips.

“I’m falling in love with you,” Kageyama breathes, and he finally claims him, fingers curling in his hair as he brings their lips together. 

Hinata claws at his back as Kageyama licks into him. Mouth opening up for him, Kageyama groans, burning for more. He lifts Hinata with ease, one hand still in his hair, the other pulling Hinata against his hips, desperate for friction as Hinata wraps his legs around him. 

Kageyama can’t get enough. The cinnamon and clove on Hinata’s skin as he bites down his neck is intoxicating. He crashes them into the wall, lights dangling right above them. He drags his hips against Hinata’s, eliciting a moan deep in Hinata’s chest. Hinata throws his head back, lights reflecting off of the sweat on his neck, and Kageyama sinks his teeth into him.

“‘Yama plea–,” he keens as Kageyama drags his tongue against his own. “Tobio,” he sighs as Kageyama nips at his ear. Hearing his name slip from that beautiful wet mouth causes a shiver to race down Kageyama’s spine, gripping harder into the dips of Hinata’s hips as he moans into him. 

Kageyama carries him to the one couch in this  _ damn _ office, never breaking from his mouth as Hinata grinds against him aching for release. Setting Hinata down Kageyama trembles, Hinata’s breath in his ear, the slightest graze of teeth as he whispers, “what do you want for Christmas, Tobio?” 

Kageyama leers down into those eyes, mouth watering seeing the marks he’s already left on Hinata’s neck. 

“You, Shouyou. I want you,” he confesses with an insatiable hunger. 

“Show me,” Hinata commands, rolling his hips up into Kageyama’s. 

So he does. 

Kageyama shows him over and over how much he wants his name to sound like it’s spilling from Hinata’s mouth. How much he craves those strong hands clawing down his back, snowy moonlight revealing the paths they carve. How much he savors the way Hinata breaks release after release, coming undone like a quiet storm within his hands. How much he loves the way the Christmas lights in the office dance on his skin, illuminating all the contours he’s marked. He shows him his ravenous want until they melt into each other, until the night's dark embrace claims them both. 

**Friday, December 25, 2020**

Kageyama stirs in his sleep feeling light fingers tickle his chin, and as he wakes further, the night’s moments come back to him in waves. Leaning into the hand on his chin, he keeps his eyes shut, simply enjoying the adoration flowing from those perfect hands. Hinata’s body lays draped over his. Legs tangled, creating a warmth more comforting than the thin blanket they found at Yamaguchi’s desk.

“I’m falling in love with you too, Tobio,” Hinata sighs breathlessly. “I already have.” 

Kageyama opens his eyes, a calm sigh escaping him as he sets his indigo on Hinata’s sepia, shifting under their blanket to face the man he’s in love with. Hinata sweeps his fingers over Kageyama’s cheeks, tenderly cupping his chin. He brings them together for a kiss that could rival a snowflake. Delicate, soft,  _ melting _ .

“Good morning, Tobio. Merry Christmas,” Hinata murmurs, resting his forehead lightly against Kageyama’s.

Kageyama laughs, bright and slow with the rising sun. “Merry Christmas, Shouyou.” 

Hinata beams at him and rays of light warmth seep through Kageyama’s veins. “Tobio, would you like to spend Christmas with me and my family?” 

Kageyama searches Hinata’s face for answers,  _ please _ etched into his loving eyes. 

“I’d love too,” he says, and Hinata hums happily in response. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Hinata declares, hand extended like a question he’ll always want to answer. 

They walk hand in hand down to the lobby, laughter ricocheting off the staircase as they recollect on the week they’ve had. Kageyama says a silent thank you to Sawamura-san and Sugawara-san before stepping outside into freshly plowed snow –  _ a thank you for this,  _ he thinks wrapping his arms around Hinata. Kageyama snuggles his face into the scarf around Hinata’s neck with a deep inhale, and a wave of comfort washes over him. A simple truth nestles deep in his heart;  _ you’ll never be alone again. _

“Hey Tobio, how many of your predictive models for us produced this outcome?” Hinata asks, orange hair tickling Kageyama’s chin as he settles deeper in Kageyama’s arms. 

And he roars with laughter. There’s no predictive model for Hinata. Nothing could measure the depth of who he is, nor understand the kaleidoscope of his personality.

“None,” he chuckles, “nothing can measure what you mean to me,” he whispers, planting a kiss to the top of Hinata’s head. 

And when Hinata turns to face him, Kageyama smiles to himself. There may not be a predictive model that would have captured this moment, or a strict measure for how he’s come to value the other man, but if he had to wager a guess, he’d say their cost per impression would be impressive. Because for every interaction Kageyama had with Hinata, every quip, every smile, every breathy sigh, the cost per impression came out to be priceless.

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to my lovely beta readers and dear friends [ChaoticFriendly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticFriendly/profile) & [wormydeen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wormydeen/profile). You both mean the world to me! 
> 
> Thank you to the HQ Among Friends discord for always being such a source of joy, discourse and fun. We're all bagels <3 
> 
> If you want to come hangout with me on twitter you can find me here! [@fireHeart_aw](https://twitter.com/fireheart_aw)
> 
> Happy Holidays Everyone!! Thank you for coming along on this Kagehina adventure.


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